SME Synergy review

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SME Synergy review

Synergy is a precision engineered turntable and our first integrated turntable featuring a built-in phono stage with a factory matched moving coil cartridge and premium grade signal cables, combining the finest components from some of the world’s best high-end audio brands. Synergy exemplifies our desire to continue creating world-class audio products and delivering the ultimate vinyl replay experience without compromise.

Synergy is a unique, precision-engineered integrated turntable featuring magnesium tonearm, moving coil cartridge and built-in phono stage. Comprising of a completely new turntable design combined with the highly acclaimed SME Series IV tonearm, Ortofon’s ‘exclusive series’ MC Windfeld Ti cartridge and a specially designed phono stage by NAGRA, all coupled with mono crystal silver wire by Crystal Cable, Synergy is a fully integrated turntable unit that is factory configured requiring minimal user set-up. Synergy’s design is compact, sleek, modern and instantly recognisable as SME. Incorporating precision engineered components, high attention to detail and the craftsmanship that SME is globally renowned for, above all Synergy delivers an extraordinary vinyl listening musical experience.

• Natural, Open and Dynamic Sound
• High Mass and Small Footprint
• Close Tolerance Precision Bearing
• Isolated Suspension
• Precision Magnesium Tonearm
• Crystal Cable Audio Lead and Internal Wiring
• Nagra Built-In Phono Stage, Fully Adjustable
• Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti Cartridge
• Factory Configured with Minimal Set Up

The electronic control unit uses a high-performance microprocessor, optimised for motor control. Closed loop speed control is implemented using a proportional plus integral (PI) algorithm. Speed ranges are 33.3, 45 & 78 rpm, with fine pitch speed adjustment allowing increments/decrements of +/-0.01% of the selected speed.

The electronic control circuitry and power supply unit are housed in an external one-piece CNC machined case. This new design offers complete isolation and support and is the perfect environment for the electronics. Speed selection controls are mounted on the front facia panel with LED indicators.

While the Synergy is aimed at those who want the minimum of fuss without sacrificing performance it still requires a little bit of putting-together.

Just lifting the packaging makes it clear that this is a heavy unit. It weighs in at just short of 25kg. Make sure your support is capable of handling that load, particularly if you’re thinking of using a wall shelf. As with any turntable it is essential that the support is perfectly level. The deck comes with adjustable feet, so there is a little scope for adjustment if needed.

As far as assembly is concerned things are pretty straightforward by high-end standards. The arm and cartridge are already attached and properly aligned. Even the tracking weight and bias are factory set, which is a real benefit for those who aren’t comfortable adjusting such things.

You will have to unscrew the pair of transit bolts holding the sub-chassis and another one securing the motor unit. You’ll also need to remove some packing strips that help to keep these things in place during transport.

The tightly toleranced main bearing is shipped with just the minimum of oil – to prevent making a mess in transit – so more needs to be added before use. SME provides the precise amount of the lubricant in a syringe, and putting it in to the bearing is easy. After that the flat rubber drive belt goes on, followed by the main platter.

The deck’s design is something of a departure for SME. The company’s established models have tended to use multiple rubber ‘o’ rings to suspend their sub-chassis where here the designers have used a polymer (specially developed to isolate vibration in the aerospace industry) to minimise the impact of external vibrations. It seems to work well, the Synergy proving less fussy about supports or being positioned close to the speakers than other rivals we’ve tried.

The Synergy uses two power supplies. There’s one to drive the motor and a second to feed the Nagra phono stage. In both cases the connecting leads are long enough to allow the supplies themselves to be placed well away from the deck, which reduces the chances of electrical hum or other interference being generated.

Based on the renowned SME Series IV, Synergy’s tonearm uses the same unique one-piece pressure die-cast magnesium arm tube. Internally damped to be acoustically inert, it is mounted on a precision yoke housing with 10mm ABEC 3 ball bearing races. This unique SME assembly gives high rigidity and allows the bearings to be critically adjusted before the tonearm is installed to the turntable. The yoke is mounted to the 23mm diameter heat treated, ground and honed steel pillar, with a pair of 17mm ABEC 7 ball bearing races that are widely spaced to resist tilt. The cartridge head shell mounting is precision machined and enamel free to avoid interference resonance. Internal wiring is supplied by specialist high end audio cable manufacturer Crystal Cable.

Fitted and factory set for immediate use, Synergy comes complete with Ortofon’s ‘exclusive series’ MC Windfeld Ti moving coil cartridge. Utilising the company’s SLM (Selective Laser Melting) technology, whereby fine particles of titanium are welded together to create a body-core optimised for overall rigidity and cartridge weight, the MC Windfeld Ti is fitted with Aucurum coils of gold-plated 6NX oxygen free copper. A specially designed cantilever, which holds the company’s Replicant 100 diamond, known for its thin and light profile and extraordinarily large vertical contact surface, completes the package. A low output impedance of 7 ohm and a medium output voltage of 0.2 mV makes this high calibre cartridge the perfect partner for Synergy’s integrated phono pre-amp.

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